Do you get The Witch Queen if you buy Destiny 2: Lightfall?

As a hardcore Destiny player myself, one of the biggest questions on everyone‘s mind is whether purchasing the new Lightfall expansion also unlocks access to last year‘s phenomenal The Witch Queen campaign and content. Let‘s dig into the details fellow guardians.

The short answer is: Unfortunately no, Lightfall and The Witch Queen are separate purchases. Buying Lightfall alone will not grant you access to The Witch Queen‘s story missions, Throne World destination, raid, dungeon, or exotics like Touch of Malice or Osteo Striga. You‘ll have to shell out for both if you want the complete Destiny 2 experience.

However, Bungie is temporarily making The Witch Queen free to all players from February 21st through February 26th leading up to Lightfall‘s launch on February 28th. So technically you can "get" The Witch Queen for free right now, but only until Lightfall releases and you‘ll lose access unless you actually purchase it.

What Do You Get with Destiny 2: Lightfall?

Let‘s break down everything included when you buy Lightfall to understand what you‘re getting:

• Access to the new Lightfall campaign, taking place on Neptune against Calus and the Witness. Estimated 6-8 hours long.
• New "Strand" subclass powers with abilities like grapple hooks. Major new element for build crafting.
• Variety of new Exotic weapons and armor pieces to chase and collect.
• Brand new raid set in the Cloudscape on Neptune. Looks to be on par with epic raids like Deep Stone Crypt.
• Season 20 seasonal battle pass, artifacts, activities. New seasonal story arc.
• Standard edition priced at $39.99. Deluxe edition with Annual Pass is $79.99.

As you can see it‘s jam packed with new content and gear to earn, but does not include anything from The Witch Queen or previous expansions.

Should You Buy The Witch Queen Too?

Even though Lightfall doesn‘t come with The Witch Queen, I strongly recommend picking it up at some point too if you‘re invested in Destiny lore and story. The Witch Queen campaign is one of the best in Destiny history – it‘s basically the Infinity War of Destiny 2 if Lightfall is Endgame.

The Witch Queen raid is also considered one of the all time greats, and you‘ll want both Osteo Striga and Touch of Malice Exotics in your arsenal. Plus it includes the Throne World destination which is gorgeous and fun to explore.

You don‘t need The Witch Queen to understand or enjoy Lightfall. But as a Destiny addict myself, having experienced Savathun‘s story makes Lightfall even richer. Think of it like seeing Avengers Endgame without watching Infinity War first. You‘ll follow along fine, but lack the full emotional weight.

Player Reactions to Destiny 2: Lightfall So Far

Based on early reviews and reactions from the community, Lightfall is receiving strong praise so far:

• 87% positive Steam reviews from players.
• "The storytelling and character development is leaps beyond previous expansions"
• "The Strand subclass shakes up the meta in an exciting way"
• "Cloudscape is one of the coolest destinations Bungie has designed"
• "Endgame content like raid and seasonal activities will keep you hooked for months"

Of course there are some complaints like any release – some find the campaign too short, or feel strand powers need balancing. But overall players seem thrilled with Lightfall and the future of Destiny 2 heading into Year 6.

Is the Annual Pass Worth the Extra Cost?

Lightfall‘s Deluxe Edition comes with an Annual Pass granting access to Seasons 21-23, plus 2 new dungeons releasing during Year 6. Is it worth spending the extra $40? I believe so, for a few reasons:

• 4 Season Passes alone would cost $40 if purchased separately. So you‘re basically getting the dungeons for free.
• Early access to dungeons with the Pass versus having to buy them later is nice.
• Destiny seasons add fresh activities, loot pools, story content throughout the year keeping the game vibrant.

If you know you‘ll be playing Destiny 2 all year long, the Annual Pass is a smart bet. More casual players can save their cash and just buy the seasons and dungeons à la carte as they release. But if you‘re a Destiny die-hard who will be grinding weekly, the Pass offers great value.

My Hot Take – Get Both Expansions, Guardian!

As someone with 1600+ hours in Destiny 2, my advice is to absolutely pick up both The Witch Queen and Lightfall to experience the full evolving epic Bungie has crafted. Is it the cheapest option? No – you‘ll have to fork over around $80 bucks for both expansions and Season 20.

But considering the hundreds, even thousands of hours of playtime you‘ll get in return, it‘s worth every penny in my book. Destiny 2 is in a great place right now, and you want all the goodies you can get your hands on. Plus supporting Bungie allows them to keep creating this game we love.

So grab both expansions, hop on your sparrow and dive into the extraordinary adventures that await in The Witch Queen and Lightfall. I‘ll see you star side, guardian! Whether we wanted it or not, we‘ve stepped into a war with the Cabal on Mars. So let‘s get to taking out their command, one by one. Valus Ta‘aurc. From what I can gather he commands the Siege Dancers from an Imperial Land Tank outside of Rubicon. He‘s well protected, but with the right team, we can punch through those defenses, take this beast out, and break their grip on Freehold.